Pine Bluff, Arkansas- TheUniversity of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions overcame an early deficit to defeat the Alabama State Hornets 90-79. The victory improved UAPB's record to 5-10 overall and a perfect 2-0 in SWAC play, marking their secon conference win after a 95-83 victory over Alabama A&M. Alabama State dropped to 4-11 overall and 1-1 in the SWAC, snapping a brief one-game win streak following their 89-69 victory against Mississippi Valley State.

UAPB trailed 13-12 early in the first half. However, the Golden Lions capped off a 6-0 run, by a three-pointer from bench spark Ramel Lloyd Jr., to seize an 18-13 lead with 12:47 remaining before halftime. UAPB capitalized on Alabama State's mistakes forcing six turnovers in the first half and converting them into 11 points. This defensive pressure helped build a 42-32 halftime advantage, with the Golden Lions shooting 36.7% from the field but knocking down 5-of-11 threes (45.5%) and going 15-of-16 from the free-throw line (93 8%).

The second half saw Alabama State mount a comeback, briefly reclaiming the lead at 58-57 after a strong push led by Asjon Anderson's scoring. But UAPB responded with an 11-0 run, extending their margin to 68-58 with 7:51 left on the clock. The Golden Lions' contribute 15 of their 48 second-half points, while their overall shooting heated up to 57.1% from the field and 62.5% from beyond the arc. Alabama State trimmed thir deficit to single digits multiple times but couldn't overcome UAPB's rebounding dominance and free-throw accuracy , as the lions went 19-of-25 (76%) from the line in the second half. The Hornets' 22 total turnovers proved costly, leading to 25 UAPB points, and despite outscoring the Golden Lions 47-48 in the period, they fell short in the 90-79 final.

Standout performances defined the contest. For UAPB, Alex Mirhosseini led all scorers with 21 points on 6-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-10 from three.Ramel Lloyd Jr. provided a bench boost with 19 points on efficient 5-of-7 shooting, while Quion Williams notched a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, adding eight assists in a near triple-double effort. Four Golden Lions reached double figures, highlighting their balanced attack, which assisted on 74% of made field goals.